Woman threatens to commit suicide before minister

December 20, 2006 17:23 IST

A woman, who is wife to one of the army men who participated in Operation Parakram against terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir, disrupted Petroleum Minister Murli Deora's press conference on Wednesday and threatened to commit suicide in Shastri Bhavan in full view of the media. Shastri Bhawan houses the ministry of external affairs.

The woman made her threat as the minister ended answering questions on his recent visit to China along with senior officials of his ministry, ONGC and other agencies.

The woman, whose name is being withheld, had apparently met Deora seven times but she had not been allotted the petrol pump that was promised to her. She alleged that senior officials of the ministry are asking for Rs 25 lakh to allot her a petrol pump.

It is not yet known how she managed to smuggle in a bottle full of petrol into the well-guarded Shastri Bhavan and made it to the conference hall, which is accessible only to the media.